The use of fiber optic cable as a transmission medium is common in communications systems. A fiber optic cable is typically a single cable within which is provided a plurality of individual optical fibers. Each optical fiber within the cable may be used to transmit information such as voice or data via light signals.
Fiber optic communications systems typically include many interconnections in which one optical fiber is connected to another optical fiber. Optical fibers may have a connector on one or both ends of the fiber. The connector on one optical fiber can be mated with a similar connector attached to the end of another optical fiber via an adapter. In this manner, multiple optical fibers can be interconnected.
Optical fibers are typically stored and interconnected in a cabinet-type apparatus. These cabinets may include a plurality of trays in which lengths of different fibers are stored and interconnected to other fibers. Typically, the cabinet includes a frame having a plurality of trays on which the interconnection and storage of excess fiber occurs. Each tray may include a bulkhead to which the connectors from different optical fibers may be attached to establish the interconnection of fibers. The bulkhead on the tray is typically accessible only when the tray is slid outwardly from the cabinet. Each tray is typically slidably mounted within the cabinet to allow service personnel to pull each tray outwardly to access its contents from the front of the cabinet.
One of the problems with existing cabinets is the arrangement of the many fibers going into and coming from the plurality of trays in the cabinet. It is imperative that the many fibers remain organized and free from entanglement with other fibers. The problem of disorganization and entanglement of fibers is exacerbated by the trays being slid in and out of the cabinet. Many cabinets require the optical fibers to be inserted into the trays through openings in the rear of the cabinet. In this manner, when the trays are slid in and out of the cabinet, the fibers slide out of and into the cabinet through the rear of the cabinet and are less apt to get tangled with other fibers.
However, this is disadvantageous because it is less convenient to feed fibers into the trays from the rear of the cabinet where access to the trays is limited. Feeding fibers into the cabinet from the rear requires that adequate space be provided behind the cabinet to allow service personnel to access the rear of the cabinet. It would be advantageous to be able to introduce the fibers into each tray from the front of the cabinet. However, if the fibers are fed into the tray from the front and interconnected to a tray when the tray has been slid out of the cabinet, the fibers may become tangled when the tray is slid back into the cabinet. Therefore, when the only opening for the fibers to enter the cabinet is in the front of the cabinet, the fibers become crammed into the cabinet when the tray is slid inwardly.
Therefore, a need exists for a cabinet for interconnecting optical fibers in which the optical fibers can be fed into a tray and interconnected from the front of the cabinet, and where the fibers do not become tangled or disorganized when the tray is slid into and out of the cabinet.